From Trygg Historical Maps, Trygg Land Office, Ely, MN www.trygglandoffice.com/maps.html b=bottom land, m=marsh, p=prairie, s=swamp

Basic Facts: Township 137N, Range 39W Government survey 18?? First Settled 18?? Organized Sep 4 1873

History

[Copied by Lory Brasel, lbrasel@leagent.net, from the book "History of Otter Tail County" Volume I - 1916 by John W. Mason]

Gorman township first appears in the commissioners' records September 6, 1871, when it was attached to the newly created Hobart township for civil and criminal jurisdiction in response to a petition dated August 1, 1871, which contained the following signatures: T. H. Whipple, O. Benson, James Hendry, John Gorman, Michael Gorman, Lewis B. Hendry, Martin B. Hendry, James Nash, Frederick Mattfelit, Martin V. Clarny, Ezra Blanchard, Sandy Clary, Monroe Brewster, F. N. Hendry, Thomas Brigham, Edward Leitz, H. Sweeney, James D. Goodhue, John Smith and Walter Gorman. It was not organized as an independent civil township until September 4, 1873, when it was made a political entity bearing the name of Nashville. The fact that the first election (September 22, 1873), was held at the house of J. O. Gorman, evidently a substantial citizen of the township, may account for the fact that the township was subsequently rechristened in his honor.

This petition organizing the township contained the following signatures: John O. Gorman, James, Nash, Walter Gorman, Barney Griffith, Michael Gorman, Daniel Gorman, Thomas Griffith, Domnicks Dinpey, John Smith. James Moores. John Work, Sam Rasmuson, T. Johnson, Peter Paulson, Thomas Frothowske, H. Tigems, Martin Brand, Hubert Poulussen, P. Y. Johnson. L. Pollom Partyhee, Tdor Mats, F. Tietfens, M. Kraus, Fred Sholes, Theodore Shagens, Frank Segigel, J. Danberg, S. Mardjinski, Charley Schulz, J. D. Goodhue, Lorenz Weess, E. Blanchard and Bartholomew Deaby.

When the county commissioners submitted the name of Nashville to the state auditor for his approval, he notified the board that there was another township by the same name in the state and, consequently, a new name would have to be chosen. Accordingly, on January 7, 1874, the commissioners, evidently without consulting the citizens of the townhip, selected the name of Fox Lake. This name did not meet with the approval of the citizens of the erstwhile Nashville and they presented a petition on March 18, 1874, asking that the township be called Gorman. The request was granted and so it still remains.

Gorman township has six lakes which are cut by its boundary limits, namely: Dead, Silver, Forget-me-not, Devil. Mud and Little Pine. Red river enters the township from Hobart in section 18, and meanders through sections 18, 19, 20, 28, 34 and then runs into Mud lake. Toad river enters the township on the east in section 12 and leaves the township in section 13. A small creek rises in a lake in section 9 and flows in a southerly direction until it empties into Little Pine lake in section 26. Silver lake has an outlet to Red river which meanders through sections 6, 7, 8, 9, 21 and 20. One of the first saw-mills in the township was located in section 18, on the north side of Red river. Early in the history of the township a brick yard was in operation on the shores of Devil's lake. The Northern Pacific passed through this township in 1871, and this fact accounts for its early organization. The first station was called Johnson, which, when platted, became known as Luce. The present township officers are as follow: Supervisor, Alex Ebberson; clerk, Roy Reff; treasurer, H. C. Mattfeld; constable, C. M. Young.

Luce.

Luce, the only village in Gorman township, is located on the Northern Pacific in section 30. It was platted by D. G. Keefe in the spring of 1884 for Johan and Caroline Dinehart, the owners of the townsite. The town plat was recorded May 25, 1884.

In the spring of 1905 the inhabitants of the village decided to ask the commissioners for the privilege of voting upon the question of incorporation. In their petitions presented to the commissioners May 6, 1905, they stated that the thirty-eight hundred and forty acres which they ask to be incorporated contained a total population of one hundred and fifty. The legal voters who signed the petition were as follow: Mike Durkin, C. A. Grinnell, Grant Woodard, Patrick Murphy, George Smithlim, Fred Kretzshmar, Arthur Woodard, John Ebberson, C. Roxstrom, W. H. King, W. H. Parks, F. F. Murphy, James Woodard, Joseph Shaske, Fred Meyer, Joseph Ebberson, Anton Silbernagel, A. A. Roxstrom, Herman, Hendry, H. N. Woodard, Michael Utz, Mike Smith, John McLaughlen, Joseph Reff, Aihert Wiese and Alexander Ebberson.

This petition was presented to and granted by the commissioners on May 6, 1905, and an election ordered for the 13th of the following month. Of the twenty-five votes cast on the question of incorporation all but five were in favor of the proposal.